Mobile device and methods for travelling towards a destination using a communication network

Abstract

A mobile device for travelling to a destination using a communication network is provided. The mobile device obtains from one or more network nodes in the communication network, a first path over a first sub-region of a region, comprising one or more sub-regions, towards the destination. The mobile device further follows the first path; and upon entering, or being in, a second sub-region of the region having a level of connectivity below a threshold, switches to follow a second path calculated locally at the mobile device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a mobile device for travelling to a destination using a communication network, the method comprising:
 obtaining from one or more network nodes in the communication network, a first path over a first sub-region of a region towards the destination; following the first path;   being in a second sub-region of the region, switching, based on a parameter, to follow a second path, towards the destination, dynamically calculated locally on the mobile device, wherein the second sub-region has a level of connectivity below a threshold, and   downloading a sub-graph of a third sub-region of the region at a boundary of the second sub-region,   wherein, being in the third sub-region having the level of connectivity above or equal to the threshold, pushing the locally calculated second path or information related to the calculated second path to a knowledge base.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 switching to follow a third path, calculated at the one or more network nodes, over the third sub-region of the region being in the third sub-region having the level of connectivity equal to or above the threshold.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the switching from the first path to the second path is performed upon detection of a change of the parameter, the parameter being associated with describing an environment of the second sub-region. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the change of the parameter indicates presence of an obstacle on the first path. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 partitioning the region into sub-regions based on the level of connectivity, wherein the sub-regions comprises at least the first and the second sub-region.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 collecting, internally and/or externally of the mobile device, information regarding the level of connectivity.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sub-region comprises the first path when the level of connectivity is one, and the second sub-region comprises a more dense map of path possibilities when the level of connectivity is zero. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein upon detecting an obstacle in the first sub-region, the method further comprises requesting an updated first path from the one or more network nodes. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein upon detecting an obstacle in the second sub-region, the method further comprises retrieving the locally calculated second path from a map at the mobile device comprising a number of path possibilities. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein upon not being able to calculate the second path with the second sub-region, retracing the mobile device to a last position where the level of connectivity is equal to or above the threshold. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, being in the first sub-region having a level of connectivity above or equal to the threshold, downloading the sub-graph of a map for the second sub-region. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein a density of path possibilities of the sub-graph is based on capability and/or available capacity of the mobile device and/or the communication network, wherein the subgraph is a portion of the map. 
     
     
         13 . A mobile device configured to travel to a destination using a communication network, wherein the mobile device is configured to:
 obtain from one or more network nodes in the communication network, a first path over a first sub-region of a region, comprising one or more sub-regions, towards the destination; follow the first path;   being in a second sub-region of the region, switch, based on a parameter, to follow a second path, towards the destination, dynamically calculated locally on the mobile device, wherein the second sub-region has a level of connectivity below a threshold; and   downloading a sub-graph of a third sub-region at a boundary of the second sub-region,   wherein, being in the third sub-region having the level of connectivity above or equal to the threshold, pushing the locally calculated second path or information related to the calculated second path to a knowledge base.   
     
     
         14 . The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to: switch to follow a third path over the third sub-region of the region, being in the third sub-region having the level of connectivity equal to or above the threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to switch from the first path to the second path upon detection of a change of the parameter, the parameter being associated with describing an environment of the second sub-region. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile device according to  claim 15 , wherein the change of the parameter indicates presence of an obstacle on the first path. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to:
 partition the region into sub-regions based on the level of connectivity, wherein the sub-regions comprise at least the first and the second sub-region.   
     
     
         18 . The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the mobile device is further configured to:
 collect, internally and/or externally of the mobile device, information regarding the level of connectivity.   
     
     
         19 . The mobile device according to  claim 13 , wherein the first sub-region comprises the first path when the level of connectivity is one, and the second sub-region comprises a more dense map of path possibilities when the level of connectivity is zero.